Operation Birthday Party
by Lady Carlton
Summary: Steve's birthday is coming and he's not exactly planning to celebrate it. But his friends have something else in mind when they find out about this special date... - Written for Steve's Birthday Challenge by Runner043 - R&R!
1. Chapter 1: March 9, 2012

_**Operation Birthday Party**_

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>**:** Do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any character you might recognize here. I wish though...

**Author's Note:** _So this is something I've been working on for a very short while, mainly motivated by Runner043's suggestion of a Steve/Cath fic she presented to me over a month ago. Her suggestion was for me to write a fic where Cath threw a party to Steve. She gave me a bunch of cool ideas but, let's just say, I had some other things in mind... Now, she's working on her own original idea (I suggest you to check her work, you will not regret it), but asked me to write something for Steve's birthday which I agreed to instantly. So, Runner, this is gonna be quite different from what you asked for but I hope you enjoy!_

**Author's Note²:**_ I still haven't reached the end of this story so I don't know how long it'll be, but, hopefully, I'll have it finished by Saturday, March 10th _:)_  
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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

_**March 9, 2012**_

Around 6pm, the working day was over at the Hawaiian Task Force Headquarters. Not that they had any amount of established hours to work during the week — that wasn't part of the Five-0s daily routine — but, surprisingly enough, they didn't have any cases to work today, the HPD was able to manage everything. For a Friday, it was quite calm.

Danny, Chin Ho and Kono were ready to go and have some well deserved beers when they noticed the absence of someone. Steve was still in his office, doing some paper work.

"Now that's weird," Kono said with a frown, standing in the middle of her cousin and the blonde detective from New Jersey. "I thought you said you called Steve," she told Danny, who was glancing at his partner, locked in his office.

"I did," Danny said looking at Kono. "Twice."

"Well, you know what they say, brah. Third time is a charm," she said, giving him a smile and an encouraging push.

Danny chuckled but made his way to Steve's office.

Just like Kono, Danny and Chin were slightly intrigued with Steve's behavior. Ever since the Task Force was created, the four of them would always go for a drink at Fridays. Always. So invitations weren't really necessary, not even for workaholic Steven J. McGarrett. He knew about it, and he usually was always there when they wrapped up and called it a day... why wasn't he there today?"

Danny reached the door and, without bothering announcing, he just pushed the door open and walked into the silent office.

"So, your highness," Danny said standing in front of Steve, who slowly raised his eyes from the papers he'd been going through for the past hour. "Do you need a formal invitation to join us for our usual drink at Friday night?"

Steve indulged a small smile but it didn't last long and, just as quick as it appeared, it vanished.

"No, Danno. I don't need a formal invitation... but I am going to cordially decline it. I'm uh— I have some stuff to do over here. You guys can go. I'm pretty sure you'll survive without me."

Danny frowned. "What? That? You can finish this some other time! C'mon, let's go. Kono's buying."

"I appreciate your concern and you coming here, but seriously, Danny, I'm gonna finish those."

Danny was to argue, tell him he was being an idiot because they could easily get the paperwork done in five seconds next Monday, but before he had a chance, Steve shifted his eyes back to the papers and shut his mind off to everything else.

It took a couple of seconds for the blonde detective to just give up and join the cousins once again.

"Well, he's not coming."

Kono's eyes widened and she stared at Danny. She wasn't sure whether she got it right or if she was deaf for a second. She was to ask Danny why but Chin spoke before she had the chance.

"It's that time of the year..."

Danny and Kono shared a confused look.

"What time of the year?" Kono asked, voicing her and Danny's question. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, today is May, 9th, right?" Both, Danny and Kono nodded. "It's Steve's birthday tomorrow."

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

That piece of information came as a shock to the other two Five-0s standing in the middle of the war room. Neither one of them knew when was Steve's birthday. He never talked about it, and no one ever asked...

"You didn't know?" Chin asked curiously.

"If we didn't know? No. We didn't know!" Danny was slightly outraged. How was that possible? How could he not know?

"Why you didn't say anything before?" Kono asked, giving Chin a nudge.

"It never occurred to me," Chin replied, rubbing his ribs and furrowing his brows at his cousin.

**—H50—**

"So, he's grumpy because of his birthday," said Danny, bringing up Steve's birthday subject again. "Why am I not surprised?"

After Chin told them about Steve's birthday being the next day, the blonde detective along with the cousins had given up on trying to drag Steve along with them.

"But why?" Kono asked after taking a long sip of her beer and leaning back on the chair. "I mean... Why he's not fond of his birthday?"

"Can't answer that, coz..."

"We need to do something," she said after thinking for a couple of seconds. "It's his birthday! It happens only one time in a year."

Both Chin and Danny glanced at Kono with suspicious eyes. She seemed to be way too excited for their liking.

"And what are you suggesting?" Danny asked as he took his bottle in his hands. "That we throw a surprise party for him?"

Kono didn't answer. She just smiled at him, which gave Danny a very bad feeling. That's what Steve did when he was trying to say yes to something that was very stupid.

"Bad idea, coz," said Chin just shaking his head, with a small smile on his face.

"Bad idea? That's a terrible, terrible idea!"

"C'mon guys! It's gonna be fun!"

Danny had given up trying to drink his beer and placed the bottle back on the table they were occupying.

"No. It is **not** gonna be fun, young grasshopper," he said, his hands describing random yet big patterns in the air. "It's gonna be a nightmare, and you know why?" Danny didn't allow not even a second so Kono could answer, he just kept talking and moving his hands. "Because it's Steve we're talking about!"

"You're overreacting, Danny," Kono said, but not so enthusiastically. "Besides, he can be social..."

Chin and Danny didn't say anything because, basically, they didn't know what to say. Disagreeing with Kono's surprise party would most likely be the most reasonable idea, but they also agreed that it was his birthday, and all three of them were quite fond of birthdays...

They were just pondering about that subject when Kono's phone rang.

"Kalakaua... Oh hey... Yeah, we heard about that... Uhum... Uhum... Perfect! That's just perfect! We're in. Totally... Alright. See you tomorrow!"

Chin and Danny heard Kono's side of the conversation very curiously and, by the time she hung up, there were so many questions dancing in their minds, such as: Who on Earth was she talking to? Why she was so damn happy? And why she said "we're totally on it", looking straight at them? But, before they could voice any of those, Kono put her phone back on the table and, with a wide open smile, she simply announced:

"We're throwing a party!"

**—H50—**

It was almost 8pm and Steve was already back to his place. He finished his work not too long after Danny, Chin and Kono left and went straight back home.

It was March 9th and there were only a few more hours until his birthday.

Steve didn't hate his birthday, but he didn't get excited about it either. Ever since his mother died, he never had much to celebrate... Theoretically speaking, his fifteenth birthday was the last birthday he actually celebrated with friends, family, even a small party; after that, it often was just another day of the year... except for the four times he magically managed to spend with Catherine.

Catherine.

Steve sighed. He wouldn't manage to spend the say with Catherine since the beautiful brunette was still stationed at the Persian Gulf. She would probably call him when it was the day but that wouldn't be the same...

He had just thought about the possibility of receiving a phone call from Cath for his birthday when his phone rang. He didn't recognize the number but the area code was a whole different story. The incoming phone call was from the Naval Base, at the Persian Gulf.

"Lieutenant," Steve answered his phone almost instantly. "To what do I owe this honor?"

_"Night, Commander."_ The sweet voice of Catherine Rollins came smoothly from his phone._ "Miss me already?"_

Steve smiled. "You know it," he said quite cheerfully. "So, how are you doing?"

_"Oh, I'm doing alright..."_

Cath's answer was flat and that made him frown. "You sure? No offense but, that didn't sound exactly honest," Steve pointed out.

_"Non taken... I wasn't being exactly a hundred percent honest with you... Things are not exactly okay and, since there's no easy way out, I might as well just tell you... I was requested to go to a different base for the next three days so, because I have to pack and everything, I might not be able to have time to call you tomorrow..."_

"Oh."

_"Yeah..."_ Steve noticed that Cath's tone was just as happy as his — not happy at all. _"So, I thought I should call you today and wish you an early happy birthday... Happy birthday, sailor. Hope you have a very nice one this year."_

"Thank you, Cath," he said and his voice sounded pretty monotonous. He doubted he'd have a _"very nice birthday this year"_ but he wouldn't tell her that — even though he was pretty sure his tone had suggested that. "Thanks..."

_"You're welcome... I wish I was there,"_ she added in a low tone.

"I wish you were here too," Steve admitted; he was starting to feel slightly upset about that.

_"Maybe next year,"_ Cath said hopefully, but not even that brightened Steve's mood.

"Yeah, maybe next year," he said, trying to sound a little bit more hopeful, like Catherine.

_"So, big plans for the big day?"_

"Not really," he shrugged and went to the kitchen to get himself a much needed beer.

_"Oh, you should do something... Go out with your friends, celebrate!"_

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like me, Cath..."

_"That is not true, and you know it."_

"Well, maybe..."

_"Not maybe. Just, pretend I'm there, annoying and pushing you to do something and do it. It's your birthday, Steve. The world's gonna revolve around you tomorrow... and maybe it'll surprise you."_

Steve indulged a laugh. That was just like Catherine; her ability to make him smile when he didn't feel like doing so... she was something else.

"Even though I hardly believe that, I'm gonna try."

_"Great. Try. But try really hard, because next time we speak, you'll tell me what did you do, and you'll have to convince me you're not making stuff up."_

"Yes, ma'am," he said; the half smile that was his signature was built in his words.

_"Good... Now, I'm terribly sorry, but I have to go... We'll talk soon... Happy birthday, Steve."_

"Thanks, Cath."

And, with that, she was gone.

Steve shoved his phone back into his pocket and, with his beer in one hand, made his way to his lanai, sat on one of the chairs, his eyes fixed on the ocean.

Steve took another sip of his beer. The memories from his last birthday came flooding his mind... they were nice to be honest. He had a nice birthday, except for the fact that his mother died that very same year.

_The world's gonna revolve around you tomorrow... and maybe it'll surprise you._ Cath's words kept echoing in his head, like the waves constantly crashing on the shoreline as he drank from his bottle.

He hardly ever got surprised and, when he did, it wasn't exactly good...


	2. Chapter 2: Operation Birthday Party

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted and/or favorited this story so far; I really appreciate it._

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>  
><em><span>Welcome to Operation Birthday Party<span>_

Steve woke up the next Saturday at 7am, when his alarm clock rang, feeling just as excited as any other Saturdays... Honestly, it felt just like any other ordinary day of the year and he planed on spending it just the same.

He got out of bed, headed to the bathroom, then he went downstairs so he could have his breakfast — a cup of coffee along with some toasts — and he was ready to go hiking.

Steve was on his way to Kaena Point, one of the various hiking trails in O'ahu, when he remembered Cath's phone call and the promise he made. Steve wasn't one to break promises so, he decided that he would indeed try to do something — and he would be damned if he didn't succeed.

The hiking trail in Keana was over three miles long and, since it was relatively early and it was Saturday, he'd put his idea in action after he returned.

Almost two hours later, Steve was back to his place, showered, in clean clothes and ready. He was still not very excited about the whole "celebration" thing but promises are promises and he took his phone and made a phone call.

_"Hello?"_

Judging by the husky voice, Steve was fairly sure his phone call had either waked up the man on the other end or something like it. He chuckled instead of feeling bad about it.

"Rise and shine, Danno!"

_"Oh, bite me, Steven... What the hell do you want at... Eight o'clock in the morning? What is the matter with you?"_

"It's almost nine, Danny. You should be up forever ago."

_"What are you? My mother? What do you want? I know it's not work so just spit it out."_

"How do you know it's not work?"

_"Because if it was, then you'd be harassing me to meet you at some crime scene at some hell hole and I'd be miserable for the rest of my day because I had to spend my day off with you so, go ahead, enlighten me to why I'm still speaking to you at eight in the morning of a Saturday?"_

Steve smirked. Danny would never change...

"Nine," Steve corrected Danny but just to annoy him. "I was thinking, you'll have Grace this weekend, right?"

_"Right,"_ Danny replied simply.

"Then why don't the two of you drop by. I'm thinking about calling Chin and Kono, get some steaks and we all can, you know, hang out at the beach..."

_"That sounds incredibly appealing but I promised Grace I'd take her to the Big Island..."_

"The Big Island?" Steve asked curiously. Danny didn't mention that...

_"Yeah. Grace is learning about volcanoes and she asked if we could go to the Big Island to visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and I said yes..."_

"Huh. That's cool, bro."

_"Yeah... Tell me about it. So, I'm gonna have to say no to your offer and I really need to get going. But have fun, babe!"_

"You too," Steve said before hanging up.

Well, Danny was out. He was about to call Chin when he heard the doorbell rang. Steve wasn't exactly waiting for any visits but he answered the door anyways.

"Aloha! Hau`oli Lā Hānau, brah."

Steve smiled and hugged Chin Ho. "Mahalo, brah," he said, opening the door and inviting him in. "I was about to call you."

Chin stopped halfway inside Steve's place. "Work?" he asked; his cheerful expression of moments ago faded, giving place to the seriousness that always kicked in when they were told they had work to do.

"No," Steve said, making Chin Ho's expression ease again. "It was an invitation actually," he explained after closing the door. "I was thinking about getting some steaks and beers, calling you, Kono and Danny so we could, you know, hang out..."

Chin smiled. "Sounds like a party to me."

"Does not sound like a party," Steve said with a half smile. "Sounds like a normal weekend."

"Right... I like the idea, but Kono went to Maui."

"Really?"

"Yeah... Malia got this weekend at a SPA over there and invited her to a girl's weekend, whatever this is," Chin explained, not exactly sure what that was.

"So your wife ditched you for the weekend? Danny's gonna give you a lecture when he hears about that," Steve said humorously.

"Hey, just so you know, she didn't ditch me. I suggested her to take Kono because, well, when I saw the folder, I knew she'd enjoy it better. But yeah, I'm already bracing myself for Danny's rantings," Chin said with a chuckle. "But anyway, since we're talking about plans, I thought about dropping by and see if you're up for some spear fishing and some beers? Since, you know, everyone else has plans and it's your birthday..."

"That sounds... pretty good," Steve said cheerfully. "Let me get my gear."

"Sure. I'll be waiting outside."

As Steve went to get his stuff, Chin Ho headed back to his SUV. He also sent a text before Steve showed up, a few minutes later, carrying a portable cool box along and a backpack.

"We should probably go on my truck," Steve told Chin, who was standing by his blue Chevy Equinox.

"Probably," Chin said, but popped the trunk of his car open so that Steve could put his stuff in there, along with Chin's.

Steve smirked. "Alright then," he said, making some room for his equipment. Chin had a bunch of things back there, even some portable grill so he decided to just stop complaining and go with the flow.

_Well, Cath, I'm trying... This is me trying,_ he thought to himself as Chin Ho pulled his car out of Steve's driveway and they hit the streets.

**—H50—**

As soon as Danny put the phone back in his pocket after speaking to Steve, he felt Grace's eyes on him. He turned to find the little girl standing right behind him.

"Hey, Monkey... What is wrong?"

"I don't like lying to Uncle Steve," she half said, half whispered, and her voice was loaded with concern.

"Well... I don't like that either," Danny said taking Grace by the hand and bringing her with him to the couch. Honestly, he hated the fact that he was lying, especially when Grace was involved… Danny didn't want to give a bad example but what else could he do? "But we talked about this remember? It's just so we can make a good surprise."

"I know... But... He won't be— mad at us, will he?"

_**Probably.**_ "No, Monkey... He won't be mad at us. He won't be mad at all!" Danny said enthusiastically, trying to hide his concern. Truth was, he wasn't particularly sure about that but since everyone was committed to it, then what the hell... "It's his birthday and we're giving him a surprise party! Would you be mad with us if we decided to give you a surprise party for your birthday?"

"No," Grace said a bit happier.

"Of course not! Who wouldn't like a party?" Grace beamed. "So, how about we go help Auntie Kono with the fudge balls now, huh?"

"Yes!"

"Yes! That's exactly what I thought. Let's go."

With a bright smile, Grace jumped out of the couch and jumped her way to the bathroom so she could wash her hands.

"I need you to tell me again that this is a good idea," Danny said as he entered the kitchen, looking at Kono — _No. She did not go to Maui for a girl's weekend at a SPA with Malia. Actually, Mrs. Chin Ho Kelly was at the hospital. Working._ — and Catherine — _Yes. Catherine Rollins. Steve's on and off affair was not at the Naval Base on the Persian Gulf. In fact, she was in Hawaii, at Kono's kitchen, baking a cake_.

"It is a good idea Danny," Kono said with his huge childlike smile.

"Okay, alright," he said approaching the counter. "So, why do I get the feeling that my life is in danger, way more danger than if I was in my car, with crazy Steve behind the wheel, pursuing a suspect in a dirty road with a cliff right by my side?"

"Relax, Danny," said Catherine with a smile that matched Kono's. "Everything's gonna be alright."

"Yeah, for you... I feel like the next case the Five-0s are going to investigate is going to be me..."

The two woman giggled at his words and the smile on their faces only grew bigger when Grace Williams barged into the kitchen with a cell phone in her hands.

"Auntie Kono! You have a new message," she said handing the phone to the Asian woman.

"Must be Chin," she said. "Can you read it for us, Danny?"

"Sure." He took the phone from his daughter's hands and, just as quickly, Grace walked around the counter to help her Auntie Kono with her fudges.

"_Eagle has left the nest? _Seriously?" he said with a mocking tone, only making Kono and Cath smirk. "And what are you two smirking at?" Danny asked curiously.

"Want to tell him now?" Kono asked looking at Cath. The Navy Lieutenant thought about that for a second.

"Why not. But you tell him..."

"Nah.. I have a better idea," Kono said then, the two of them looked at Grace, who was right between them.

"Gracie, why don't you do the honors and tell your dad?"

The little Williams looked at them; her brows slightly furrowed.

"You know," Cath whispered. "That thing that we talked about..."

Suddenly, Grace opened a wide open smile. "Oh, that! Sure!" Then, she looked at Danny, who had been not so patiently waiting to know what on Earth was going on when she said proudly: "Danno, welcome to Operation Birthday Party."

Danny's eyes widened when he heard those words — definitely Catherine's idea — and the quite serious tone Gracie had used. For a split second, it even made him remember Commander Gutches... Oh boy, he'd be damned...

But then, he looked at the three women in front of him and noticed they all were enjoying that a huge and whole lot. That made him ease... Also, the smile on Grace's face was always something that made Danny forget about all the bad things.

"Operation Birthday Party... That's cool," he said with a genuine smile. "Very appropriate since, you know, it's SuperSEAL's birthday and we're doing it all behind his back..."

"Now that is the spirit, Danny," Kono said with a huge smile and throwing an apron at him. "Now put this on and come help us. We need to get everything done here, take it all to McGarrett's house and make sure everything's okay over there as well."


	3. Chapter 3: With a little help

_Thank you for the amazing reviews guys! So, here's chapter 3 of my Steve McGarrett's birthday story. I have 4 chapters done and this might be a 5, perhaps 6 chapter story, not sure yet...  
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_Also, even though he won't see this, my thoughts and best wishes goes to Alex. It takes courage to do what he did and I'm a damn proud fan. He's a strong man and will get through this and return even stronger. Take your time, Super SEAL! **Good luck, Alex** or, quoting my beloved show & its lovely characters: **"Good luck, Aquaman!"**… **"I'll think about you the whole time!"**_

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>  
><em><span>With a little help from my friends<span>_

"So. Any plans for the big day?" Chin asked casually as he drove his car, with Steve as shotgun, through the streets of O'ahu.

"Not really..."

"How come? You only turn 35 once in your life. That deserves some celebration."

Steve chuckled. "Maybe..."

"So? How come you have no plans?"

"You know, ever since dad sent me and Mary Ann to the mainland, birthdays sort of turned into a regular and normal day... It wasn't like I had time for a party at Annapolis then working with the SEALs."

"Well, you do now. Why not do it?"

"I don't know... I just didn't think about it. I guess I'm used to the way my last nineteen birthdays happened."

Chin looked at Steve with the corner of his eyes. He understood Steve's point; he could also read between the lines and knew that one of Steve's reasons to not get too excited about his birthday had something to do with his family. It should not be easy to spend his birthdays knowing that his parents were both dead and his sister was once again away from him - that should not be easy; birthdays are all about family. Steve met his glance and neither said a word for about five seconds.

"That's sad, brah."

It was sad. But, for some unknown reason, Steve laughed after hearing Chin's words.

"It is, isn't it? Wow..." He wasn't laughing, but had this amused smile on his face. "But this is already a different birthday," he said looking at Chin. "I spoke to Cath yesterday... She sort of made me promise I'd do something for my birthday..."

"Is that why you'd invite everyone to your place?"

"I was thinking about it before talking to her, but yeah... I mean, it wouldn't be a party, but I'd be with friends."

"And now you're stuck with me."

Steve's and Chin's eyes met and the two of them were smiling.

"Yeah. Now I'm stuck with you..."

Following the plan they had sort of set last night and this morning, Chin Ho took Steve to the farthest place he could think of to go spear fishing.

Kono and Catherine had made it very clear that they needed time — a lot of time — to prepare a decent surprise to Steve. It was up to Chin distracting Steve while everyone else worked their asses off to prepare this surprise, after all, to Steve, Danny and Kono had no idea when Steve's birthday was and Catherine was currently somewhere in the Persian Gulf.

Surprise a SEAL sounded a pretty tough thing to do since he had ninja senses, but they were pretty confident that it would work. After all, Chin was a very discrete person and wouldn't let anything show. Also, he was quite pleased with his role on that whole scheme. He knew Steve, not exactly better than anyone else, but for a little more time.

"And here we are," Chin said when he parked his SUV on a very empty and secluded beach.

"Finally. I thought we would never get to the destination," Steve joked as he got out of the car along with Chin.

"Patience is a virtue, brah," said a very amused Chin.

"Sure." Steve then took his time to look around. He lived in Hawaii for quite a long time but he had never been to that beach. He knew they were on the North shore — and he knew the place fairly well — but that place was unknown to him. "Wow... I don't think I've ever been here..."

"It's nice, isn't it?" Chin asked with a proud smile. "My uncle used to bring me here when I was younger... It's still exactly like I remember..."

"I got to say, it's pretty cool up here."

"Yeah. This was one of my favorite places to be... Still is actually."

The two men contemplated the view. The turquoise ocean, white sand, palms and green grass... Quietness. It was amazing, and Steve couldn't not notice that it did felt like a place that Chin Ho would like to spend time; it was just as calm as the Asian man by his side.

"But hey, if we want to get something to eat for lunch, then we need to start working," Chin said as he tapped Steve's shoulder softly so they could get their stuff from the trunk.

Before they hit the ocean, Chin checked his watch. It was 9:37am. Great. Now he'd only have to keep Steve busy for a little over five hours or until Kono texted him it was all good. He couldn't decide which was worse but he had a plan... It was promising, but he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. Good thing he knew how to hide it.

**—H50—**

"I thought you said it would be a small gathering, with just a few close friends," Danny said as he helped Cath with an incredible amount of pots and containers that she had put everything she and Kono had made that morning.

"It is gonna be a small thing," she said with a shrug that Danny didn't see because he was busy, loading Kono's car.

"Are you sure? Because this looks like we're gonna feed the Army!" Danny indicated the untouched ingredients on the backseat.

"I should probably record your words and play it again after dinner so you can rethink this statement, but I won't..."

They had just finished putting everything in Kono's Cruze and Danny's Camaro when Kono and Grace appeared at the front door.

"You guys done there?" Kono asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Danny replied.

"Good, 'cause I got a phone call from Mary; she's waiting at the airport..."

Last night, after talking to Kono and succeeding in dragging her into the whole surprise party idea, Cath had asked the Asian girl to call Steve's sister, Mary Ann, and see if she could make it to Hawaii. It was her brother's birthday and, even though she was in Los Angeles, it was only natural that they invited her. The younger McGarrett agreed to take part on that enterprise and now she was at the Honolulu International Airport.

"Right... Uh— why don't you go get Mary while Kono and I go to Steve's place?" Cath suggested hopefully. She still needed to stop at the Kailani's Bakery to get something so she could finish the cake along with a bunch of other things...

"Okay," he said with a nod. "I'll go get her, you go prepare the house. Grace, honey, c'mon."

The little girl ran towards her father. "Danno, who's Mary?" she asked curiously, then Danny remembered she didn't know Mary Ann McGarrett.

"Mary is Uncle Steve's sister," he explained as he opened the passenger door for his daughter.

"I didn't know Uncle Steve had a sister..."

"He has. But she doesn't live in Hawaii," he explained as he sat behind the wheel. "Mary Ann lives in Los Angeles."

"Oh, so she's coming for the birthday party! Uncle Steve is gonna be happy."

"Let's hope so, Monkey." Danny thought but didn't say.

He and Chin had agreed with the whole "surprise party" thing, but they weren't so sure about bringing Mary Ann back... Sure, she was his family and yes, it was the right thing to do to invite her, but Steve had sent the young McGarrett back to the mainland for her safety... How would he react when he get to his place and sees Mary Ann there?

That would be an interesting party (to say the least)...

Danny and Grace got to the airport in record time. There was little traffic for a Saturday and they both thanked whoever was responsible for that.

The blonde woman who happened to be Steve's little sister was waiting for her ride right in front of the entrance doors of the Honolulu International Airport, which was a good thing and Danny didn't have to waste any time trying to find a place to park his car. He just stopped the car so she could get in and the three of them left, heading to Steve's house, but first, they had to make a stop before getting there.

.

"Danno, we need to buy a present to Uncle Steve!"

Grace was almost jumping on the passenger seat. When Danny told her about Uncle Steve's birthday that morning, the little Williams said they **needed** to get him a present. "It's his birthday!"

"Of course, Monkey. And we will," he said as he tried to think of something. It was Saturday and it was early. Odds were not in his favor that he'd find a place open where they could find something so that Grace could give to her Uncle Steve. "I just need to find..."

He'd been driving through Waikiki and Grace was almost hopping on the back seat when — it was a miracle! — he found a gift shop. And it was open!

"Okay, let's see if we can find a nice present to Uncle Steve," he told Grace when he found a place to park his car only a few yards from the store.

Danny was to tell Mary Ann that it would be quick but he didn't have to do it; she had met Grace not five minutes ago and the two of them got along pretty well. She was even smiling broadly when Grace let out a very enthusiastic "yay!" and jumped out of the car so they could go to the gift shop.

Grace wandered aimlessly through the place for a few minutes until she found what she was looking for.

"Are you sure this is the best birthday present?" Danny asked when Grace met him, holding tightly to the gift she had picked.

"Yes. It's perfect," she said with a bright smile. "It's just like Uncle Steve... Auntie Mary said he'll love it."

_Auntie Mary_. Danny smiled at that.

"Alright then," he said with a nod. "Let's pay for it and ask for the lady to wrap it up so we can go meet Auntie Kono. She's waiting for us to help them, okay?"

"Yes!"


	4. Chapter 4: Hell's Kitchen

_Thanks everyone for reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story! I'm happy that you guys like it. I'm also sorry I didn't respond to each and every reviews, but know that I do appreciate you all so much!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>  
><em><span>Hell's Kitchen<span>_

Almost half hour later, Danny killed the engine of his car at Piikoi Street, 2727. As it was expected, Kono was already there — he knew it because her red vehicle was currently parked on Steve's driveway.

"Hey, you guys do realize that it won't be exactly a surprise if the cars stay there, right?"

Danny had just walked through the front doors and was heading to the kitchen when Kono and Cath appeared. They were going to check who had gotten to McGarrett's house and, what they saw, got them speechless.

"What is that?" Cath asked with an amused smile on her face.

It was just Danny, Grace and Mary Ann that had arrived, but more than that, each one was holding about five balloons, all shapes and forms but all with the same saying "Happy Birthday" — in both English and Hawaiian — and that was what her question referred to.

"Décor," said Mary simply. She had this wide open smile that, even if someone wasn't looking at her, they would be able to tell only with the tone she used. She was happy.

"Well, after picking Mary at the airport, we made a short stop at a gift shop because Grace reminded me that we needed to find a present for the birthday boy..." Danny explained, putting one hand on Grace's shoulder, which had this proud smile on her face and was holding tightly onto a mid-size box, all wrapped up and with a ribbon. "And, since this is a birthday party, we thought 'hey, balloons!' and that's it."

"That is **so** cool," Kono said glancing at the multicolored balloons. That was not something that anyone would expect to find at a SEAL's house or birthday party but that's what made it so funny.

"Very much, indeed. Now, I hate being a killjoy guys but... we need to hurry," said Cath rushing back to the kitchen. "Otherwise we won't get anything done in time!"

"Yeah? Well, whose idea was that in the first place?" Danny shouted from the living room. He wasn't being serious though. Actually, this whole surprise party thing was quite amusing.

He was just handing his balloons to Grace so she and Mary could find a place to put those when the doorbell rang.

For a second, Danny, Mary and Grace stood still, glancing at each other with this blank expression on their faces... until Kono shouted from the kitchen: "Danny, get the door! It's Charlie!"

Indeed, it was Charlie Fong. Along with Max Bergman, Kamekona and Joe White. Oh the joy.

"Did they talk you in this craziness too?" Danny asked — his question being directed to no one in particular but to everyone at the same time — as he pushed the door open to allow the small group inside.

"Talk?" Fong said overly amused after Danny shut the door closed once again.

"More like demanded us in," said Joe with the same tone.

Almost instantly, Kono's and Cath's voice came pretty loud from the kitchen in unison: "We heard that!"

The five men standing in Steve's living room shared a smile. "They're very... driven," said Max as he put down the cool box he'd been carrying. Only then Danny noticed that each one was carrying one of those. Kamekona was carrying two.

"What are those?"

"Beverages, ice, whipped cream..."

Danny followed Fong's words as he pointed to each individual but frowned when he heard about the last item. "Do I even want to know about the whipped cream?"

"Miss Rollins called Joe and asked him to get some," he explained as the older man made his way to the kitchen with his cool box in hand. "You might want to ask her about it."

"Thanks, but I think I'll just embrace ignorance," Danny said casually as he escorted them to Steve's lanai where they'd leave everything.

"Hey, big guy, did you bring the tables?"

"Sure, brah... They're on the truck," Kamekona said as he put the cool boxes down, along with everything else.

"Alright, let's bring them. Fong, care to help us?"

"Sure, let's do it."

Since they were hosting a last minute surprise party, they couldn't rent any tables or anything to accommodate the guests — they weren't many but they still needed to have a place to sit since Cath had planned a dinner — so, Kono had the brilliant idea of asking Kamekona to take some of the tables he had at his shave ice point so they could make everything work. He agreed to it instantly.

For the next half hour or so, Danny, Fong, Kamekona and Joe had to drag five tables from the truck that Fong had borrowed from his cousin to the back of Steve's house. It wasn't easy though, the tables were pretty heavy.

They arranged the tables together; the two where the food would be place was set on his lanai, close to the door and the remaining three where they would sit was arranged on the grass, next to the lanai and also close to the sand of private beach. They were fairly pleased with how they were displayed.

It was around noon when they finished it — and they were starving by then.

If they considered the idea of trying to make or get something to eat from Steve's kitchen, that thought soon vanished when they got back to the house. Kono, Mary, and, imagine that, Max, were occupying the kitchen, each one working on a different thing from the white board that Cath had put on the kitchen, while Cath and Grace were occupying the dining area and were just finishing the cake. Steve had no idea but all his friends, aside Chin, were working their asses off to get a party with a five-course dinner and a double-decker cake with a fancy decoration. If he didn't appreciate that, there would be some serious kicking ass session later.

"I think it would be a better idea if we just ordered some food," Danny half mumbled thoughtfully. Right now, 'Hell's kitchen' meant something completely different than a neighborhood of Manhattan, back in New York City.

"You do that," said Mary over her shoulder, keeping an eye on whatever it was that she was cooking.

"Yeah, take Kamekona and Fong with you and go," said Kono, who was busy with shrimps.

"Someone's getting pretty bossy," Danny muttered to himself but, somehow Kono heard it.

"Someone's getting whiny," Kono retorted highly amused. Despite of the fact that they were nervous about getting the food done in tome, whether Steve would like it or now, the atmosphere was quite light. There was something about this crazy idea that would lighten the mood no matter what.

Danny just chuckled. "You heard the boss, let's go," he said, snapping a finger and signaled Kamekona and Fong to follow him out of that chaos. Joe stayed behind; an extra pair of hands to help.

.

The three men returned about forty minutes later with food — Chinese; everyone loved Chinese.

It was only then that everyone took a break, but when they did so, they had almost everything ready. What needed to be done in advance was done, only things like salad and some appetizers that they'd tackle later since would take minutes to get those done. So, at 2pm, they had zero work to be done in the kitchen, only having to worry about cleaning the mess, working on the "decor" of the lanai and hiding the cars.

"I know Steve's neighbor," said Joe when Danny brought up that point again. "He's a retired Marine and a friend of mine. He's currently on vacation in Miami and I spoke with him earlier today; he said we can use his garage. It fits three so we can put Kono's, Max's and Danny's car in it and Fong's truck can stay on the driveway, since Steve doesn't know it."

Danny nodded.

"Sounds good, but he won't get suspicious? I mean, it's his neighbor too. Doesn't he know he's not here?" he asked curiously.

"Hardly think so. Harmon has two kids and they sometimes come to stay at his place. He might assume one of them is here... I'm pretty sure it won't be a big deal," Joe said with a shrug. "Besides, Chin will come from the other side, they won't pass in front of the house."

"Alright. That's great! Looks like mission accomplished," Cath said with a tired yet satisfied tone. They made it. Together, they managed to organize quite an amazing last minute party to Steve. It was good.

"Yeah. Since the car issue is now solved, all is left to do is to make the place look like when Steve left and it's all good," said Joe.

"Not so fast," said Cath almost instantly. "It's not only the place we need to get neat. **We** need to get ready as well."

"Yeah, that and Malia will only leave the hospital around 3:30pm," Kono added promptly. "I just got a text from her saying she's got an emergency surgery..."

"Alright," Danny said with a nod. "So... Let's clean the place, then everyone go get a shower, get dressed and pretty and we meet here at... say what? Three? So we can wait for Mrs. Kelly and then call Chin..."

They all agreed to it and started working. If they had second thoughts about it earlier, now they were just really excited.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _So, this is Chapter Four, there's gonna be one more Chapter and I'm debating whether a 6th chapter will be necessary. Oh, and Chin and Steve will be back next chapter so, fear not, people. And once again, Mahalo!_


	5. Chapter 5: No such thing as good

_Aloha everyone! So, here's Chapter Five, the last one of my Steve's Birthday Challenge fic. I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with this story! Thanks for the reviews, they were all very kind and encouraging; I very much appreciate each and every one of you guys! Mahalo nui loa :D It has been a nice journey but, all good things come to an end... Let's see how this day is going to end. Just a heads up, this is a long chapter because I wanted to meet deadline and post the last chapter on March 10th._

_Happy birthday to our beloved Commander!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>  
><em><span>No such thing as good surprise<span>_

It was almost 3:40pm and Chin Ho Kelly's phone was still quiet. He had long ago ran out of things to talk, stories to tell and was running out of ideas to invent stories... Kono and Catherine said that they should have everything done by 3pm and they'd text him as soon as they were ready but, until now, nothing.

It was very unusual, but Chin was on the verge of quietly and internally freaking out when finally — FINALLY — his phone showed signs of life and vibrated. He pulled it out of his pocket almost instantly, making Steve glance at him curiously and suspiciously.

"Chin, this is the fifth time you check your phone in the last hour or so. Is there... something going on?" Steve asked dubiously. His curiosity only grew bigger when a smile appeared on the Asian man's face.

"Sorry... I was just... checking for any texts from Malia," he said a bit hesitantly. Pulling the wife's card was his excuse if Steve started to get suspicious. Since they were recently married, it would work no matter what. "Haven't heard from her since this morning..."

Steve chuckled. They've been at that beach for almost six hours now and, even though they were having quite a good time, Steve was starting to notice some very subtle signs of impatience on Chin Ho's expression.

"Was that her?"

"Yeah... Her phone had died and she didn't notice until now," Chin said nonchalantly as he typed something back.

"So, already regretting not going with your wife to Maui?" Steve asked when Chin put the phone back in his pocket with this small smile on his face.

"I miss her if that's what you're asking," he said looking at Steve. "But I don't quite regret staying... Would I like to be with her right now? Sure. But it was nice to come here, unwind and celebrate your birthday, brah..."

Steve waved that off but he was smiling. They both were.

"Thanks man. It was a nice birthday. Different for a change."

Chin smiled. Even though he had been waiting to get the text from Kono, saying they had it all ready and he could take Steve back, truth was that he did enjoy spending that time with Steve. They worked together, sure, but before becoming co-workers, they were friends. Chin knew Steve since he was in High School and he probably knew more about the young Commander's life than Danny or Kono... And it pretty easy, effortless to hang out with Steve and it was really a pleasure for him to spend some time with him on his birthday. If they could go back in time and change everything, Chin wouldn't change a thing. He would definitely agree with the surprise party and he would most definitely accept being the one to distract Steve, because it was worth it. Even if they all got yelled at for the next twelve months — very unlikely —, this whole secret operation they had planned was worth it. Steve deserved that. He did so much for so many people that he deserve what they were doing for him...

"You're welcome, brah... But all good things come to an end. Ready to go back? I'm starting to feel like I have salt water in my blood..."

Steve chuckled but agreed. Even though it was still early, they had spent quite a long time there. A very pleasant time per say.

.

During the ride back, Chin noticed Steve was quiet, and had this thoughtful and distant expression on his face.

"Something's bothering you?" Chin asked casually.

Even though he was 99,9% sure that, as soon as they got to Steve's home, that seriousness would be quickly wiped off, Chin was curious and, to be honest, slightly concerned after all, it's been only too long since Steve had a party...

"Not really," Steve shrugged. "I was just thinking..."

Thinking. That could be good... Or not. "May I ask about what?" Chin questioned trying to sound nonchalant — and he accomplished that.

Steve just sat back. "Mary," he said simply. "I promised her we'd see each other and I do intend to honor my word, it's just... I haven't spoken with her since she left."

Chin smiled inwardly. It wasn't a bad thing whatsoever. "Well, it's your birthday. You might hear from her," he said with a small and encouraging smile.

Steve smiled in return. "Well, maybe."

Chin turned his attention back to the road, feeling pretty good about everything. He couldn't wait to get to Steve's place.

.

"Thanks again, man," Steve said when Chin slowed down and stopped in front of his house.

Chin waved it off. "Nah. Thank you for putting up with me today, brah..."

"Yeah, you probably owe me for that," Steve said playfully as they got out of the car.

"Hey, can I use your bathroom?" Chin said as he sped up and met Steve when he got to the trunk of his SUV. He did not need to go to the bathroom; he just needed to get inside the house.

"Sure," Steve agreed instantly. He fished for the keys in his pocket and tossed them to Chin as the Asian man popped the trunk open. "You know where it is, make yourself at home."

"Thanks," Chin replied with a small smile and he ran towards the front door, unlocked it and stepped inside.

The place looked just as neat and organized as when he left with Steve that morning.

"Nice," he muttered to himself shortly before he looked over his shoulder to find Steve already closing the trunk lid. He needed to hurry. "Guys? Where are you?"

Kono appeared, coming from what Chin guessed to be the lanai. "Over here! Where's Steve?"

"He's gonna be with us shortly. Let's go," he said ushering Kono back where she had just appeared from; then he stopped. "Woah. Wait. Did you guys get rid of—"

"Cath did. All of them."

"All of them?"

"All of them," she said as she resumed her short and quiet run towards Steve's lanai. "You'd be surprised how many he has..."

"Probably one too many," Chin replied as he followed Kono to the lanai, and they managed to do it just in time because as soon as they walked through the doors of Steve's lanai, the front door went open.

.

Steve entered his living room and just spare a quick glance at his place. Everything was just the same and it was quiet. Complete and utter silence greeted his ears. Not that he was expecting a band performing in his living room, but there was one problem... The alarm system. He didn't give Chin the password to disable the alarm of his place and yet, the place was dead silent.

"Chin?"

Steve quickly dropped his equipment and reached for the .9mm that he always kept hidden in his couch, shoved on the space between the arm and the cushion... But there was nothing in there.

"Fuck," he hissed through teeth — he didn't like any of that, then he called again for his friend. "Chin?"

He was about to reach for his phone and call for backup when he took one step into his place and got a clear view of his lanai. Safe to say Steve's heart stopped beating for a moment, his brain stopped processing any new information he was getting and he just stood there.

There were a bunch of people gathered on his lanai and he hardly acknowledged when they all screamed "SURPRISE!" in unison when he made himself visible for all of them and it took him a couple of seconds for him to realize what on Earth was going on.

Steve hardly ever got surprised, but this time, they got him real good. He was most definitely not expecting for such thing. And, as the people made their way inside his house, he was even more stunned.

"I tho— you said you were going to the Big Island..." Steve mumbled when he saw his partner and Grace walking towards him with a huge smile on their faces.

"Yeah, and I still can't believe you fell for that. Me and volcanoes? Like I need more dangerous and explosive things in my life," Danny said as he gave Steve a man hug; after a split second, Steve hugged him back. "Happy birthday, man."

"Thanks, Danno."

"Uncle Steve!"

As soon as Danny and Steve pulled apart, Grace called for her "Uncle Steve" and, almost instantly, Steve was crouching on the floor and being hugged by the little Williams.

"Happy birthday," she beamed happily as her arms closed around Steve's neck.

Steve held her there for a few seconds before letting her go. "Thanks Gracie. Thank you very much," he said with a genuine and wide open smile.

Then he stood up once again and found a lot of people surrounding him. He saw Kono and Malia and Chin smiling broadly at him.

"You said they were in Maui," he said looking straight at Chin, who was trying so hard to not burst into laughter.

"I would apologize, but I am not sorry, brah..."

"Yeah, I can tell you're not," Steve replied faking an annoyed tone, but the amusement in his voice was much more evident.

"You should have seen your face, boss," said Kono as she took one step closer to Steve and closed her arms around him. "Looked like you were about to have an aneurysm. Seriously."

"Yeah, yeah... Laugh while you can, rookie," Steve replied as he hugged her back. "Monday will be a hard day at the office for you. All of you," he added playfully.

"Hau`oli Lā Hānau, boss."

"Mahalo, rookie."

Steve then hugged Malia, Charlie, Max, Kamekona, then there was Joe.

"You were part of this too?" Steve asked, half shocked, half happy. It was damn nice to see Joe there... He was kind of like a father figure for Steve.

"Are you serious? I wouldn't miss it for a thing," he said as the two men hugged. "Besides... I didn't have a choice really — not that I needed one."

"What? What are you saying?"

Steve let go of Joe and saw this mischievous grin on the old man's face. Then, he took one tiny step to his right and Steve almost fell backwards when he saw who was standing there.

"Mare..."

"Hi punk." The blonde woman walked towards her brother with a huge smile on her face.

"I thought you were—"

"In LA?" She finished his question humorously. "I was... Until I got a phone call from saying we'd be having a party! Couldn't say no for a party to my favorite brother."

"What are you saying?" Steve asked as he pulled Mary for a bear hug. She held onto him just as tightly. "I'm your only brother..."

"And we promised to see each other again, right? So, here I am."

"Here you are," Steve said after a handful of seconds. He loosened the hug and looked at Mary. "You're something else, Mare..."

"I know, right?" she said and they both chuckled.

"By the way, who called you?"

"I did," Kono said standing close to Joe, Chin and Danny. "Well, I would anyways but before you go crazy on me, I acted following someone else's orders," she added when Steve arched an eyebrow. He wasn't mad though, on the contrary, he was extremely glad to see Mary. They hardly ever spent time together and the last birthday he got to share with his little sister also happened to be the last birthday he celebrated altogether — his fifteenth birthday. Twenty years ago.

But, even though he was happy, cheerful and everything, Kono's last words made his arched brows turn into a frown.

"Wait... What did you mean; you acted following someone else's orders?"

Steve shifted in his place when he saw that everyone was grinning at him and, once again, he felt his heart skipping a beat when Kono and Joe took a step to the right, Chin and Danny took a step to the left and there she was.

His eyes widened and for a moment or two, Steve went speechless.

"Cath..."

Catherine Rollins' face lightened up with a wide open smile. "Happy birthday, Commander."

Steve was shocked. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times while Cath made her way towards him. In one fluid movement, he closed the remaining of the space between them and had her in his arms. She was there but...

"How...?"

Cath laughed softly and pulled away from him just a few inches so she could look Steve in the eyes. "And you worked for Naval Intelligence," she said with a smile that reached the eyes. "I asked someone to call you from the Naval Base and redirect the call to my personal phone..."

"So I'd see the area code and think you're there," Steve finished Cath's sentence and she smiled at him. He grinned. "You're devious," he said leaning for a chaste kiss.

"I'm devious _and_ clever," she said happily, her hands caressing the back of his neck.

"But... How did you get here?" Steve freed Cath from his hug, but kept a hand on her waist. "I mean, you had a leave not too long ago..."

"I had help," she said, indicating Joe with her hand. "Commander White might be retired but he still has influence..."

Steve looked at his old CO and smiled. "Thanks, Joe... Thank you everyone," he added looking at all his friends that were surrounding him. "This is... This..." He couldn't put down in words how he felt. If he said that what they did for him was amazing and overwhelming, that was be one hell of an understatement.

"Yeah," Danny said when words failed Steve. "We know that, man."

**—H50—**

About thirty minutes after they got to Steve's place, both Steve and Chin had showered, changed into clean clothes — Chin had purposely brought a clean set of clothes and he kept them in the back of his SUV, knowing he would need it — and they were all hanging on the private beach, on the back of Steve's house.

"So, how'd you guys like the appetizers?" Kono asked when the trails with the two first courses — shrimp cocktail and goat cheese, basil & tomato bruschetta — were almost empty.

There was a murmur of approval from each and every one of the guests and, with a proud smile on her face; she stood by Max's side.

"Great," she said with an open smile. "Credits are mine and Max's. Thanks you very much."

When they learned that the exquisite Medical Examiner had helped with the food, those who weren't involved with the food making process stood still.

"Seriously?" Chin asked glancing at the bruschetta he was holding. "You two made these?"

Steve had the same curious expression in his eyes while he looked at Kono and Max.

"Yes, we did," she said sliding an arm around Max's shoulder and smiling at her cousin.

"Huh... Didn't know Max had cooking skills," Steve said, but he soon regretted when Max started to ramble about how cooking was all about chemistry and blablabla...

"Please tell me that he only assisted with the appetizers?" Steve whispered to Cath, who was passing by as he pulled her close.

She chuckled and leaned down to place a kiss on his lips and steal the remaining of his shrimp. "The appetizers were the only thing he assisted with," Cath said with a wink.

Then, she turned to Mary Ann, who was nearby. "Hey, care to help me with dinner?" she asked; the blonde nodded in agreement and they left the lanai — soon followed by Kono and Grace, heading towards the kitchen.

"So, I was told this was your idea," Steve spoke with Danny as soon as Cath and Mary disappeared into his house. He was referring to the balloons that were tied to the tables and to Steve's chair (since Grace insisted that, because it was Uncle Steve's birthday, he should have a special place).

"Actually, it was Grace's and Mary's idea... But I did pay for the whole thing," Danny added proudly, making Steve laugh. "How'd you like it, babe?"

"It is... It is something," Steve said cheerfully. Everything until now had been quite something. All the effort that they had put in that surprise party made Steve feel even more humble. He smiled as his eyes went through the place and he watched everyone and how they were enjoying it. They were really his ohana. All of them were a part of Steve's life and he appreciated them all.

Steve was just thinking about that when Grace showed up at the door and told them dinner would be served.

.

Steve and half of the guests were a bit overwhelmed with "dinner". If they all didn't know the hard battle that Cath, Kono, Mary, Danny, Joe and Max (some more than others) put up to get the challenging and ambitious menu that Catherine insisted in making.

The dinner consisted of five courses. The first two were the appetizers (the shrimp cocktail and the bruschettas), the second was a Caesar Salad, the forth course was a palate cleanser and the fifth and main course, since Steve was a meat guy, it would be steak — but not his regular steak, even though it was heavenly good.

"I thought you said we're having a simple gathering so we could celebrate Steve's birthday," Chin said as Cath placed the fourth course in front of him, which was Grapefruit Mint Sorbet. "Not some fancy dinner."

"It is," she replied with a small smile.

"Uh. Excuse me," Danny said from across the table. "There was nothing simple about this whole thing. Nothing, my dear Miss Rambo."

Cath smiled offered the same Danny. "Oh, but you enjoyed it. Be honest," she said as she continued to serve the guests with a little help from Kono.

"Well... Maybe," Danny said but everyone could tell he did enjoyed and was still enjoying that.

Kono set the place with the sorbet served in a quite fancy cup in front of Danny and, he was about to have a taste of it when he felt a soft nudge on his right side.

"What's wrong, Monkey?" Danny asked looking at his confused daughter.

"Why are we having dessert in the middle of dinner?" she whispered her question to her father who had to try to suppress a laugh.

"No, Monkey... This is not dessert," Danny said.

"It looks like dessert to me," Grace replied as she picked the spoon and looked at the sorbet in front of her.

"You never had these with mom or Stan?" he asked, sounding just as curious as the little girl. She just shook her head negatively. "Well, this, sweetheart, is a palate cleanser," Danny explained softly. "It comes between courses so you can clean your palate from everything you already." Grace still looked confused, so Danny tried to make it simple. "You know when you brush your teeth after you eat?" She nodded. "The taste of food goes away, right?" She nodded again. "It works kind of the same, but it's just so, when the main dish comes, you can enjoy it better." Grace looked less confused. "You'll understand soon. Go ahead, taste it."

He watched as Grace put a small amount of the sorbet in her mouth and she was soon smiling. "It's good," she beamed.

"It is, isn't it?" he replied and, when he was to taste his own, Danny noticed all eyes on him. "What?" he asked when no one looked away.

"Palate cleanser? I must say," Steve said with a smirk. "I am impressed, Daniel. Very impressed. How'd you know that?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "I can be sophisticated, Steven. How about you? Huh?"

Steve threw his both hands in the air, but his smirk was still there. "Alright then, Mr. Sophisticated," he said with a smile and he turned his attention to his own portion of the Grapefruit Mint Sorbet.

They all heard it when Danny muttered "animal" through teeth, and soon enough, they were laughing.

Cath finally brought the final course, which was Cabernet Filet Mignon, sided with baked potatoes, rice pilaf and sauteed green beans. Since she knew she would spend a damn good part of her day in the kitchen, Cath decided she might as well do something that would be divine — not good, not great, DI-VINE — and she succeeded.

"I must say," Steve said after that amazing dinner. "This was better than going to a five star restaurant. Everything was perfect. Really perfect." He then leaned towards Cath, who was by his right side. "Thanks beautiful," he said, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Thank you everyone."

"Why are you thanking?" Cath said with an eyebrow arched. "There's one thing left," she said and, once again, stood up. "Grace? Wanna help me now?"

The little girl beamed and, holding Cath's hand, she jumped all the way back to his house. Less than a minute later, both women returned, each one carrying a tray. Grace was bringing the fudge balls that she and Kono made that morning, while Cath was bringing the double-decker cake that she spend a considerable amount of time working on.

As soon as the two of them appeared, everyone stood up and started singing "Happy birthday to you". Steve felt like he had momentarily forgot how to breathe, he was amazed. And as Cath put the cake right in front of him, he just stared at it with this goofy smile on his face.

He saw the Special Warfare insignia, which was the symbol of the SEALs — a golden eagle clutching on a US Navy anchor, trident and a flintlock style pistol — and the Five-0 badge, both interlinked by a blue ribbon with the saying "Happy Birthday Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett". He recognized the handwriting as Catherine's. Everything was beautiful.

"How did you...?" Steve didn't get to finish the sentence. He was in awe.

"I didn't do it. Not everything, I mean. I made the cake and decorated it but this design," she pointed to the SEALs Trident and the Five-0 badge. "There is no way I would do it so I had to ask to Kailani to make it using edible stuff. Did you like it? I didn't know if you'd like it so—"

Steve cut off her babbling with a kiss.

"I absolutely loved it," he said, his hands framing her smiling face. "Thank you." Steve then turned to face the rest of his friends that were looking at him, all of them feeling genuinely happy. "I got a feeling I'll repeat these words a few more times today and still it won't be enough. Thank you. Everyone." Steve looked once again at his cake. His past and his present tied together, and he was sharing that with his ohana. "Thank you so much for everything. Not only for today, but always. For bearing with me throughout this whole time. I know I can be difficult sometimes..."

"Sometimes?" asked Chin, Kono, Danny and Mary, all at the same time and without rehearse. Steve chuckled.

He had been on the verge of crying — just like everyone else — but that witty comment sort of lightened the mood and they all shared a moment of laughter.

"Thank you," Steve said to everyone once again. Then, he slid an arm around Cath's waist and placed a kiss on her temple. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear.

Cath felt her heart skipping a beat with that simple gesture and, if she didn't know before, she knew it now. It was worth it. Everything was worth it. Steve deserved it so much.

"You're welcome," she whispered in return as her eyes met his. "But you should really cut your cake," Cath said handing him a knife, that Steve took, but didn't let go of her hand.

"Anything you say."

.

After the superb dinner and the sinful cake, they were all chatting and making some small talk outside when suddenly, Grace's voice and fast pace startled everyone.

"Uncle Steve!"

Steve instantly turned to the back door of his house and saw the little girl running towards them with a box held tight in her hands.

"Hey," Steve said as she stopped abruptly in front of him. "Where's the fire, Gracie?" he said playfully as he held her.

"There's no fire," she said almost serious, but then she noticed he was just joking so she reached out, handing the box to Steve and said cheerfully: "Here. Your present."

Steve took the box in his hands and, for the umpteenth time that day, he felt his heart skipping a beat. It was a nice sensation though.

"Oh, thanks Gracie... But you didn't need to," he said hugging the impatient girl in front of him. She was almost jumping up and down with excitement.

"Of course I did. It's your birthday! Open it!"

Steve laughed with her impatience and how she could sound very demanding and he decided to indulge. He undid the ribbon and placed it carefully on his chair, and then he opened the lid of the box. He laughed.

"So?" Grace asked, this time, she did jump a bit. "Did you like it? Danno calls you Super SEAL and I found it at the gift shop. I asked Mary if she thinks you'd like it and she said you would love it."

Steve looked at Grace and then at Mary, who was sitting right behind her. His cheeks were starting to ache, so much he had been smiling this day, but it was a good thing.

"She was right," Steve said looking back at Grace and taking the stuffed seal from the box. "I loved it," he said holding the white plush toy.

Grace beamed. "Really?"

"Really," Steve said chuckling. Everyone else was laughing. "And because I loved it so much, I'm gonna name it Grace."

Grace's smile grew wider and she walked towards her father, who was sitting one seat from Steve's. "It was the perfect gift, daddy," she said proudly as her father picked her up.

"Sure it was, Monkey," he said kissing her forehead. "Now Super SEAL has a baby seal to make him company."

**—H50—**

Steve felt pretty sad when the night came and brought with it the end of an outstanding day.

"Guys... It was amazing. Seriously. I don't know what birthdays mean, let alone parties since I was a teenager. I really had so much fun today. Thank you."

There was a chorus of "you're welcomes" and "it was a pleasure" before he had to say goodbye to each and every one of his friends.

When the last one — Danny — left, Steve felt this unusual sensation inside him. He was sad that they were all gone and the day was ending... But he felt so incredibly happy.

He leaned against the front door and closed his eyes. Forever he'd carry the memories of this day with him.

"So, how did you like your surprise?" Steve opened his eyes and found Cath standing in front of him.

He closed his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, making the space between them vanish.

"Loved it," he said leaning forward and sealing her lips with his. She smiled.

"I told you the world would revolve around you today," Cath said as her hands went to Steve's neck. "And it would surprise you."

"Yes, you did," he admitted, his lips searching for hers once again. "And you were damn right..."

Steve hardly ever got surprised and, when he did, it wasn't exactly good... Today, Steve was surprised, but it wasn't good — it was **great**.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END<strong>

* * *

><p><em>So, this is it! Sorry for the long ass chapter but I sure hope you enjoyed it! Mahalo sailors <em>:)


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